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Two women have been arrested for trying to travel to Syria to join a proscribed organisation.

The pair, aged 16 and 20, were arrested in central London on Sunday evening on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

Officers from the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command arrested a 20-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, namely travelling to Syria to join a proscribed organisation.

They were arrested in central London at approximately 9pm on Sunday, August 21. Both were taken into custody at a central London police station.

A man has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of terrorism offences.

The 29-year-old was arrested as he was about to board a flight to Saudi Arabia.

The man is being held by officers from Scotland Yard's Counter-Terrorism Command on suspicion of possessing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

A west London home is being searched and Scotland Yard said several electronic devices have been seized for analysis.

The senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing has said that 'several attack were plots disrupted' last year amid a slew of arrests.

Counter terror police: 'Several attack plots disrupted'. Credit: PA

Last year's arrest figures demonstrate a considerable increase in volume, range and pace of counter-terrorism activity in the UK.

We have been running exceptionally high numbers of investigations, the likes of which we have not seen for many years.

Several attack plots have been disrupted, of various sophistication; from individuals planning to carry out lone attacks to more complex conspiracies, the majority seemingly directed by or inspired by terrorism overseas.

The partnership between police and MI5 is very effective, and we are experiencing very strong support from the communities.